When do heat injuries occur

Heat emergencies are health crises caused by exposure to hot weather and sun. Heat emergencies have three stages: heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke. All three stages of heat emergency are serious. If you live in hot climates or play sports in the summertime, you should know how to spot the symptoms of heat emergency.

Getting treatment in the early stages of this condition can prevent heat stroke. Heat stroke can be fatal or cause lifelong complications. Call or go to the emergency room if heat illness is causing vomiting, seizures, or unconsciousness. Heat cramps are the first stage of heat emergency. Heat cramps are especially likely in the elderly or small children, overweight people, and people who have been drinking alcohol. Muscle pain and tightness are symptoms of heat cramps.

Sweating may be present in heatstroke. A person who is experiencing heatstroke might have very dry skin from dehydration. Heat emergencies usually occur when someone has exercised too much in hot weather. Cool the worker quickly with a cold water or ice bath if possible; wet the skin, place cold wet cloths on skin, or soak clothing with cool water.

Circulate the air around the worker to speed cooling. Place cold wet cloths or ice on head, neck, armpits, and groin; or soak the clothing with cool water. Treat a worker suffering from heat exhaustion with the following: Take worker to a clinic or emergency room for medical evaluation and treatment. If medical care is unavailable, call Someone should stay with worker until help arrives. Remove worker from hot area and give liquids to drink. Remove unnecessary clothing, including shoes and socks.

Cool the worker with cold compresses or have the worker wash head, face, and neck with cold water. Encourage frequent sips of cool water. Rhabdomyolysis Rhabdomyolysis is a medical condition associated with heat stress and prolonged physical exertion, resulting in the rapid breakdown, rupture, and death of muscle.

Workers with symptoms of rhabdomyolysis should: Stop activity. Increase oral hydration water preferred. Seek immediate care at the nearest medical facility. This most serious form of heat injury, heatstroke, can occur if your body temperature rises to F 40 C or higher. The condition is most common in the summer months.

Heatstroke requires emergency treatment. Untreated heatstroke can quickly damage your brain, heart, kidneys and muscles. The damage worsens the longer treatment is delayed, increasing your risk of serious complications or death. If you think a person may be experiencing heatstroke, seek immediate medical help. Call or your local emergency services number. Sudden exposure to hot weather.

You may be more susceptible to heat-related illness if you're exposed to a sudden increase in temperature, such as during an early-summer heat wave or travel to a hotter climate. Limit activity for at least several days to allow yourself to acclimate to the change. However, you may still have an increased risk of heatstroke until you've experienced several weeks of higher temperatures.

Certain medications. Some medications affect your body's ability to stay hydrated and respond to heat. Don't leave children alone in a car. Even if the windows are cracked open. This is a leading cause of infant death from heat illness in the U. Drink plenty of fluids during vigorous or outdoor activities including sunbathing , especially on hot days. Drinks of choice include water and sports drinks. Don't drink alcohol or fluids with caffeine, such as tea, coffee, and cola.

These can lead to dehydration. Make sure your child dresses in light colored, lightweight, tightly-woven, loose-fitting clothing on hot days. Schedule vigorous activity and sports for cooler times of the day. Take rest periods in shady or cool areas. Make sure your child is protected from the sun, wears a hat and sunglasses, and uses an umbrella.

Use a sunscreen that is at least SPF sun protection factor Teach children to take frequent drink breaks and "wet down" or mist themselves with a spray bottle. This can help prevent becoming overheated.

Student athletes need frequent breaks for water or sports drinks. Most athletes should drink about 1 cup of fluid to milliliters for every 15 minutes of exercise. If your child has a health condition or is taking medicine, talk with their healthcare provider for more advice for preventing heat-related illnesses. Search Encyclopedia. Heat-related illness can occur in 2 ways, exertional and nonexertional.